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About Persuader

“Gripping and suspenseful . . . Child ratchets up the suspense to new heights.”—The Denver Post

Jack Reacher lives for the moment. Without a home. Without commitment. And with a burning desire to right wrongs—and rewrite his own agonizing past. DEA Susan Duffy is living for the future, knowing that she has made a terrible mistake by putting one of her own female agents into a death trap within a heavily guarded Maine mansion.

Staging a brilliant ruse, Reacher hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise. Trying to rescue an agent whose time is running out, Reacher enters a crime lord’s waterfront fortress. There he will find a world of secrecy and violence—and confront some unfinished business from his own past.

“A story that will sweep you along as fast as some of the riptides Reacher survives.”—St. Petersburg Times

About Persuader

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Lee Child’s The Enemy.

“Gripping and suspenseful . . . Child ratchets up the suspense to new heights.”—The Denver Post

Jack Reacher lives for the moment. Without a home. Without commitment. And with a burning desire to right wrongs—and rewrite his own agonizing past. DEA Susan Duffy is living for the future, knowing that she has made a terrible mistake by putting one of her own female agents into a death trap within a heavily guarded Maine mansion.

Staging a brilliant ruse, Reacher hurtles into the dark heart of a vast criminal enterprise. Trying to rescue an agent whose time is running out, Reacher enters a crime lord’s waterfront fortress. There he will find a world of secrecy and violence—and confront some unfinished business from his own past.

About Lee Child

Lee Child is the author of twenty-one New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher thrillers, twelve of which have reached the #1 position. All have been optioned for major motion pictures—including Jack Reacher (based on One Shot) and Jack Reacher: Never Go… More about Lee Child

About Lee Child

Lee Child is the author of twenty-one New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher thrillers, twelve of which have reached the #1 position. All have been optioned for major motion pictures—including Jack Reacher (based on One Shot) and Jack Reacher: Never Go… More about Lee Child

“A story that will sweep you along as fast as some of the riptides Reacher survives.”—St. Petersburg Times

Author Q&A

Meet Jack Reacher. The fictional hero created by author Lee Child. Reacher is a man of equal part brains and brawn. Millions of readers worldwide who have already discovered Child’s novels know that after just one chapter of one book, you’re hooked. Young and old, male and female, from every step on the social ladder and every side of the political spectrum, Lee Child’s page-turners attract everybody. So what’s the inside scoop? We went directly to author Lee Child to find out.

It’s been boasted that the Lee Child reader runs the gamut. Is it true?

Absolutely! Having met a ton of fans and read even more letters, I’m proud to say that my readers come from all walks of life. In fact, one day’s mail brought notes from a 10-year-old boy and a 100-year-old woman. I’ve heard from former President Bill Clinton ("I love Jack Reacher") as well as Newt Gingrich ("The finest adventure fiction being written in America today"). I’ve autographed books for people who rushed out to buy them the day they went on sale, and from others who had copies pushed upon them by friends saying, "trust me, just read it." So, what do you think makes them so popular?

Two words: Jack Reacher. Reacher is a drifter and a loner with a strong sense of justice. He shows up, he acts, he moves on. He’s the type of hero that has a long literary history. Robin Hood, the Lone Ranger, Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings, Jack Reacher—they’re all part of the same heroic family. Reacher just ratchets it up a notch. Maybe more than a notch.

Your new paperback, Persuader, is a great introduction to Reacher. And talk about ratcheting it up! This novel certainly does that.

Thanks! I didn’t think of the book as a character introduction—after all, this is his seventh appearance––but it seems to be working that way. Reacher is an interesting guy. He’s a self-reliant ex-military cop. He has no possessions, no commitments, no family. He enjoys his solitude, but he worries about loneliness. He’s brave, for sure—like many military people are—but more than that he’s committed to doing what’s right. That’s an important part of his character. He’s tough and ruthless and he breaks the rules, but his heart is in the right place. First-time readers will see that in the very first chapter of Persuader––here, he’s hunting a man who wronged him ten years ago. Not a smart move on that guy’s part.

What motivates you when writing these thrillers? Is there any single piece of the process to which you give "extra" attention?

As for motivation, deep down, I think we all enjoy the same things. First and foremost, I write what I want to read, and I’ve found that it’s what others want to read too. For an "extra" push, I work really hard on the openings. They’re very important. The first line, the first paragraph, the first page … they’re make-or-break. My attitude is that it’s the author who should do the work. The reader is there for the ride. If at the end, the reader doesn’t think "Man, that was some ride," I think I’ve failed.Your strategy certainly works; you had us hooked! We defy anybody to reach the end of chapter one in Persuader and not stay up all night reading. How do you follow up a book like that?

Well, Reacher fans always have two questions: What made him the way he is? And what on earth was he like way back when he was still in the Army? So the next book––The Enemy (hardcover 5/11/04)––is set in the past, when Jack Reacher was a younger man, still an M.P. The Enemy answers those questions.